


A mother's love

by Charrise



Category: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
Genre: F/M, Loyalty, Overprotective
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:47:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25959265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charrise/pseuds/Charrise
Summary: A what-if Eva Duarte had lived fic. As she lay next to her second husband's dead body, Eva Duarte found herself given a second chance a life. Spending years searching for her lost children, she one day finds her long-lost daughter Jude thanks to a clue, delighted Eva swears to have her children have little to do with the world of Faerie. Easier said than done. Jude desires magic and wonder, as a Faerie king desires her youngest daughter by his side.
Relationships: Eva Duarte/Jude Duarte, Eva Duarte/Madoc, Jude Duarte/Cardan Greenbriar
Comments: 4
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

“Hello, is anybody home? I just came to…” She heard a crack of wood shattering into pieces. “Oh my god, what happened?! Honey, call 911!” Someone was standing over her, worry clear on their features. “She’s alive!’ She heard someone say, it was a man’s voice.”Are you sure?” “Yeah.” “Get an ambulance someone’s still alive and hurry!” Her vision was blurry but she could make out 2 blurry objects moving, they were figures were a bluish-black and peach color. Greens and reds, and blue dark blues. She could barely open her eyes, she was so dizzy. The only thing keeping her awake was… “Vivi, Taryn, Jude…” “Shhh save your strength dear.” She heard sweet murmurs of comfort to be strong whispered to her ear. Eva didn’t want to be strong, she wanted nothing more than to just rest. But her children needed her. “Vivi, Taryn, Jude…” “I’m sure they’ll be found dear don’t worry.” How long did she stay like this? She didn’t know. All she knew was she was then forcefully lifted and placed in a cold hard thing, that held her body but made her want to twist in discomfort. “Mmmh.” She mumbled. The torturous whines of a siren “ee ooh! ee ooh!” blazed her ears. She wanted to cover them but she couldn’t move. Her arms felt like they were rooted in her sides. Able to move, but at the price of excruciating pain.   
She then felt herself move as if riding a roller coaster, Eva always hated roller coasters, they were never fun to her. And the only reason she rode them was that Jude loved them. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for her children. “I need 20 CC’s stat!” She felt an electric shock, then everything went into a white bright light.  
A man was there, a man who would one day take her away from her home. She didn’t know why but it almost seemed like he had green skin and cat-like eyes. He looked at her and smiled. “You’re beautiful.” he looked at her, eyes filled with honesty.  
She smiled, eyes gleaming. “Of course, aren’t I always?”  
He smiled. “Your beauty is like a fall day.” He took her hand and kissed the back of it, as a gentleman would she thought. He looked her in the eye.  
“Why do you say such funny things?” Her eyes were alight with humor.   
He raised his brow. “What do you mean my lady?”  
She giggled at that. “Something like that, calling me my lady.”  
“Is your father not a lord?”  
She laughed at that. “We have no more lords here.”  
“He furrowed his brows in confusion. “But why do they call you a princess or your ladyship?”  
She stopped to think about that. “Maybe it’s because my family’s wealthy.”   
At his confused look, she giggled again. “Rich people are considered royalty after all.”  
He smiled. “Ahh, then calling you my lady is correct.” She giggled and laughed.   
His face then turned to full seriousness. “May I kiss you?”   
At her shocked expression, he tried to retract what he said but no words came out. She giggled, and at his hurt face, she then said. “I was waiting for you to do it.” His lips touched hers, gentle and loving. She giggled and laughed. Loving this moment.  
That was her first kiss with her husband.  
“No Eva, I forbid you to marry him!” her mother said.  
“But mom,” Eva pleaded.  
“Don’t you have any pride for the Duarte name?” his eyes furious, her father looked like a general ready to order the killing blow.  
Eva’s lips wavered. “I love him!”  
“Love?” Her mother scoffed. “You’re only 22, you just finished college! You think you’re in love?”  
Eva’s lips quivered and she stomped her feet. “You’re wrong I love him.” She was used to getting her way and throwing a tantrum was usually the best way to do it..   
Her mother’s face was incredulous. “Are you seriously trying to throw a tantrum right now?”  
Her father shook his head. “Just as I thought, you’re not mature enough to think straight.”  
She bit her lip, confused. She usually got her way after she stomped her foot.  
“We clearly spoiled you.” her mother said.  
“And we don’t approve of him!” Her father added.  
Eva felt her world break at that. “But I love him! And Nothing bad will ever happen to me!”  
Her mother shook her head. “You’re young of course you think that.   
“You’re proving to us why you shouldn’t marry. Her father said.  
Tears dripped down Eva’s cheeks as she looked at her parents’, rebellion clear in her eyes. “I’ll marry him anyway!”  
Adam Duarte looked at his daughter incredulously, then seeing that she was serious turned grim. “If you do, I’ll disown you.”  
Eva was shaken and shocked by those words, she turned to her mother, but there was no sympathy in Lucy Duarte’s gaze. She looked at them, one last time, they were adamant. So was she, she walked out the door and never saw them again.  
Eva really should have listened to her parents, maybe she could have spared herself the pain, the shock, the loneliness, and the danger.  
She sighed. Madoc was gone again, off to who knows where and doing god knows what, while she was here stuck in this drab castle. She was bored, Asha was busy trying to seduce the king. So there was nothing to do. She huffed, there was no way out of Faerie, this old fashioned place. She was stuck, basically a prisoner here. The servants tried to coax her with delicious sweets, but she brushed them off. “I want chocolate.”   
“But my lady we have none.”   
“Then don’t bother me.” She was in a mood, she was pregnant with cravings, and none of the food she wanted was available in this place. This old fashioned hell, that was only fun when there were balls. Other than that, this place was not meant for her, when she asked Madoc if they could live in the mortal world, the look he gave her made her give up hope and fear for her life. She had then clutched her belly protectively until his features softened. She never asked him again, but by golly was this place so dull! So old fashioned, she missed the mortal realm with all of its technology and advancements. The magic was fun for a while until she realized without Madoc she was basically their plaything. This was not a home for her. But, she then clutched her belly, this may be a home for her child. It was then a withered woman, caught her attention.  
“Ahh my, pretty would you like to hear your fortune?”  
A fairy. She shook her head. She knew better than to make bargains with them. Or to do anything to owe a favor to them. That included hearing a fortune.  
The fairy smiled. “Well then let me tell you your child’s fortune!”  
She stopped and froze. Her child? She looked down on her belly, this surely was something worth knowing. It probably wasn’t anything big, probably if the child was healthy or not. Small fortunes like that. It was probably a small favor. She nodded.  
The hag smiled, broke an egg, and shifted the yolk. The fay paused, then looked at Eva. She repeated the cycle until Eva could no longer take it, well, what does it say? Will my babe be healthy or not?  
“Your child will be a greater weapon than anything Justin ever forged. It will belong to the land and change the fate of Elfhame forever.”   
Eva felt herself chill to the very bone. “Excuse me?”   
“You will bear a great weapon and it will belong to the land.”   
She clutched her belly. “What is the price you want. “Only that I will be the child’s midwife when she is born.” Eva nodded weakly.  
She knew her husband. He was cold, he was calculating, he was ruthless. He wasn’t above using children for his gain. He wasn’t above using those he loved. She clutched her belly. She had to get out of here, away from him.   
Turns out Vivi wasn’t the child the hag had been talking about, no that would be her youngest.  
The liquid had started dripping from her leg, her tractions were five minutes apart. The twins were about to be born, they needed to get to the hospital immediately. “Justin!” She screamed. “The twins, they’re-!” Justin nodded, obviously prepared after Vivi’s birth. “Okay, I’ll get the car ready, Vivi’s ready in the car she’s excited to meet…” He stopped talking and stared blankly at the front door. Eva looked at him funny, what was he looking at? She then turned her gaze to find an old withered woman smiling kindly at her. “Hello, my pretty.” A faerie. But they took every precaution! “I’m here to take the debt you owe me.” Justin protectively shielded Eva.   
“Oh it’s not that kind of Debt, I’ll be the child’s midwife.”   
At this, Justin raised his brow and gave Eva a funny look. She only nodded and mumbled something along the lines of her owing to the hag. Justin sighed. “Well, at least we don’t have to go to the hospital.” but there was a wariness in his gaze.  
“Ahh don’t worry smith, her husband isn’t here.” At this Justin and Eva stiffened at the mention of Madoc, her first husband, the ones the fay recognized. Eva nodded. “And I won’t tell, I do love a good story after all.” Eva gave a weak smile. Or at least tried to, she felt too nervous to be anxious around this woman. This creature. “Now then, lay down so I can help the child’s birth.” The woman must have been using glamour for neither Dustin nor Eva could refuse her.  
“Uhhhh.” She screamed as she pushed and pushed her joints contracting as a baby’s head appeared.  
“Keep pushing!” The fay said. She nodded, and out came a girl. She was so beautiful. The midwife tsked, and she frowned at that. “She’s a normal mortal, this one. What will you name it.” Eva bit her lips, trembling. How dare this woman to treat her child like she was nothing! She wanted to scream at this woman, claw at her with her nails. Dare her to say that again. Tell this precious babe she was not special. But held back, angering this woman may lead to Madoc.  
“I’ll give the babe one thing, as she’s a beauty.”  
Eva looked at her baby. “Yes, she’s so beautiful.”  
She then remembered the story of a girl who was so beautiful nothing bad happened to her. The girl’s name was Taryn. “Taryn.” The mid-wife looked at her. “Her name’s Taryn.”  
She then felt another wave of agony hit her. The second baby was coming. The midwife’s eyes lit up at this. “Ahh, the special one’s coming.” Eva held back the retort that both her babies were special. She knew better than to reason with the fae. “Ahhh!” She screamed, pushing and urging the babe to come, to please end this torment. When finally the cry was heard. She was identical to the first baby, but something felt off, Eva knew the babe was hers, but something felt special about this one. The midwife held the wailing newborn happily not handing her to Eva.  
“Don’t worry I’m not going to take the babe away.” Eva calmed at these words but looked questioningly at the otherworldly woman. She simply shrugged. “It’s not her destiny to be taken by me.”  
“But ahh, how beautiful and special this little one is!”   
Eva watched as the midwife twirled her baby around. “I never thought there’d be a day I’d see the embodiment of the land.”  
Stiffening Eva looked at the midwife. “W-What did you say.”  
“You bore the embodiment of the land.”  
If the fae knew this, then…  
“Don’t worry she won’t show this until she becomes her destiny.’   
And with that, the faerie handed her baby to her, as the little one played with her mother’s hair. Laughing and cooing, but the mother’s mind was jumbled. “What will you name this beauteous child?”  
“What destiny?”  
The hag smiled. It was a wrinkly thing, hideous, and mocking. “Do I have to tell you mortal?”  
And with that, she disappeared.  
Eva held her babies closer to her, too afraid to let them go. It was only when her unnamed one started crying did Justin seem to wake up and hold her close. He sang an old Beatles song- one that Eva wasn’t familiar with. “Take a sad song and make it better.” he quietly sang. The baby giggled at this.  
Justin looked at his wife and smiled. “I think we should name her Jude.” and they did.  
Madoc found them seven years later, by then they had become a happy family and he had destroyed that. There was nothing left for her to live for. It was then she remembered the fear in her children’s eyes. Vivi, Taryn, Jude… her children  
Her children. They had to be alive, they were alive, she could feel it. And they needed her. Madoc be damned. She had to fight.  
There was a beeping sound heard, it was that of a shrill siren like the ones you’d hear at doctor’s appointments. “She’s alive!”  
Eva Duarte opened her eyes and found herself in a medical room.


	2. Eva's pov part 1

The hospital room felt blank. She had no roommate to talk to, the food here consisted of cold tasteless chicken or limp, wilted salad with a bland jelly. Eva hated being here, especially when she could be out looking for her children. She knew Madoc may have taken Vivi but there were Jude and Taryn to worry about. Plus the longer she stayed here the pricier the bill was going to be…  
Eva sighed, looking out the window. She needed to think of ways to make money and pay the bills. When Justin was alive they sold his swords and Eva used her business and marketing degrees to find clients for him. But now she needed to find a job if she and her children were going to survive, she needed to find a good career.   
“Are you sure she’s here?” A male voice called out.  
Eva whipped her head towards the door startled out of her trance. She’d recognized that voice anywhere;t was her father’s voice, and the door opened suddenly as a man with honey wheat skin and dark black hair opened the door. The relief was clear in his ebony eyes as he said in relief: “Eva.”  
“Dad.”  
“Lucy, she’s here.”  
She found herself gripped in a bear hug by her mother. She stared at her in shock. Lucy Duarte though already in her 50s still looked like she was in her early 30s and looked as beautiful as she remembered her. Tears were in her amber eyes as she held Eva close. “When we heard the news we… oh, Eva, I’m so sorry we abandoned you.”  
In her mother’s embrace, it felt like a wall broke down, and Eva’s cheeks felt wet. Then she realized she was crying as well, “Mom, Dad I…”  
“Shhh, it’s ok.”   
Her mother cleared the hair from her face and smiled at her gently. “It’s ok.”  
Eva shook her head, her hands shook. She didn’t look them in the eye, too ashamed but she had to say it. “You were right, I was… I was too young and didn’t know about Madoc.”  
Her parents were silent for a moment. They turned to look at each other. Her father then spoke, his voice deathly calm as he asked: “Did he do this to you?”  
Eva nodded.  
Her mother clasped her hand. But Eva could feel her hands shaking. “Honey I promise you that monster will end up in jail.”  
“If I don’t kill him first.” Her father said.  
“Adam!”  
“What?”  
Her mother gave him a scandalized look.  
“Well, no one hurts my daughter and gets away with it.”  
It was Eva’s turn to smile before flashes of her daughters hit her. A flashing pain hit her, then and she wailed in agony. “Eva?!” Her mother cried out.  
Eva continued to scream, clutching her belly in the process.  
“Nurse!” her father screamed.  
Soon, Eva’s world turned black.  
When she came to, her eyes landed on the worried faces of her parents. Sitting up, a doctor came, she was female with Carmel skin and chocolate-colored eyes. She was young and seemed to be in her thirties. She was biting her lip, looking down on the floor. Eva instantly knew she had bad news.  
“What is it?” She asked, her voice wavering. The doctor looked out, trying to give a fake smile. It was tight and far too sweet for Eva to fall for it. She looked at this doctor in contempt. “What is it?”  
“You’ll be fine Mrs. Duarte.”  
“What is it?” she asked for the third time  
The doctor bit her lip and looked her in the eye. She had the look of someone who was the bearer of bad news and didn’t want to be. “To survive, we had to remove your reproductive organs.”  
It felt like she had slapped Eva’s face. She would never be able to bear children again. It was a good thing she was already sitting, for Eva knew she’d have fallen in shock with the news.   
The doctor frowned and had the face of someone who was used to being yelled at. Oh, she was probably expecting Eva to be in hysterics.  
“And my daughters?”   
The doctor blinked in surprise. “Excuse me?”  
“My daughters, Vivi, Jude, and Taryn. Where are they?”  
“What’s my daughter talking about?” her mother added.  
“Ahh, yes of course!” The doctor added, clearly in understanding.   
“Mrs.Duarte had three daughters.” Her parents were in shock.  
“Where are my daughters?” Eva asked again.  
The poor woman had the face of someone who thought they had just gotten out of the frying pan and into the fire. “Well, they haven’t been found yet.”  
Eva took a deep breath. The nurse braced herself and looked ready to be yelled at.   
“Can I talk to the police?”   
The doctor looked relieved and nodded, quickly rushing out of the room, leaving her alone with her parents who looked at her in shock.  
“So, we have granddaughters.” her father said, obviously trying to lighten the mood.  
Eva nodded, but the fact her children were missing added with the news she couldn’t have children again weighed heavily on her.   
She saw her father try to open his mouth but no words came out. They sat in silence until a policeman came.  
He also had the face of someone who didn’t want to be there. Eva didn’t like that face because it brought bad news. “What is it?”  
“We haven’t found your daughters yet.”  
The thought that Madoc took all three of them, made Eva break, and something in her decided she couldn’t stay here. She tried to rise but she was still too weak. Her legs gave out and she slumped to the floor.  
“Eva!” Her mother cried trying to gently carry her back to the bed.  
“Ma’am.” The officer began. “Don’t worry, my men are on the hunt we’ll find your children I assure you.”  
Eva knew better than to trust their words, they were nothing but pretty lies. The police had stopped searching after a few weeks, believing the children were dead. Of course, no one told her. She had physical therapy and everyone knew the one thing that she was fighting for was for her children’s sake. But she could tell by the pitying glances sent to her by the hospital staff, the way her parents would look at each other, that everyone believed her children were dead. But she knew better, she could feel it in her bones, her children were alive.  
She was discharged after 6 months. She didn’t bother to go to the police. She already knew they gave up. But that didn’t mean she would. Her parents brought her to her old home,  
a cozy two-story house with one car, in the suburbs. The kind of life one would expect someone who grew up in the middle-class would live in. Not the daughter of a high-ranking businessman. Her mother scanned the home.   
Family photos littered the place, photos of Dustin, who was a handsome man by mortal standards. His dusty blonde hair and button nose resembled her. There were her children’s photos: Vivi with her cat eyes and strange ears smiling mischievously while the angelic-looking twins, Jude and Taryn closely followed her as if she were the leader. There was scattered metal lying around, materials Justin used for sword building. There was also cheap junk that she knew her mother would find distasteful. Things she used to find distasteful. Replicas of old Chinese vases, cheap statues, and trinkets that were meant to bring good luck and good fortune, second class china. Everything that just screamed trying to be presentable but not rich. The kind of thing Eva herself looked down on in her youth. Her mother’s eyes looked over every item judging. Eva felt like she was a little girl again, under the watchful eye of her mother who was training her to be the perfect lady.  
It was then her mother decided to pick up a photo, she paused. It was a photo of the girls and her. She was kneeling as her daughters encircled her. Vivi had caught her by surprise that day as she had caught her mother in a bear hug. Taryn was holding on to her arm, on her tiptoes she kissed her mother on the cheek. Jude, a flower crown on her head, ran towards her, not hugging but giggling and laughing. Justin had decided to take a photo of that moment right then and there.  
Her mother stared at the photo, mouth open, she then looked at Eva. Her eyes were questioning.  
“They’re your grandchildren,” Eva said.   
Adam Duarte then came over to his wife, to look at the photo. Staring at the three children, innocent faces filled with love for their mother. “They’re so beautiful honey.”  
Eva nodded. “They’re still alive.”   
Her parents looked at her for a moment. She saw their faces break from sad smiles to the face of utter desolation. She knew they truly believed her children were dead.  
“Eva, sweetie…” Her mother begins.  
“No, I can feel it, they’re still alive.”  
“The police have-”  
“I know the police gave up.” That’s when her parents’ faces turn to shock. Her father’s brows furrow in worry, her mother puts her thumb to her mouth and bite it, something she only did when she was especially worried.  
“I fought to stay alive for their sake, and I’m not giving up on them.”  
Her father’s eyes shifted from worry to understanding, though Eva swore she saw a shock in them. Her mother though looked at her in utter shock and was shaking. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Adam then gripped his wife’s hand. Lucy calmed down, and her eyes were blank before she asked in a monotone voice “Do you seriously believe they’re alive?”  
Eva looked at her parents in the eye, her voice filled with conviction. “I wouldn’t have fought to live if any part of me doubted that.”  
Her parents shared a look.   
“Ok, if you believe they’re alive, then how will you support them?” Adam asked. “Raising children can be expensive.”   
Eva was silent.   
Her father sighed. “You don’t have a job do you?” Eva shook her head. She felt like a little girl getting lectured for a minor offense instead of an adult woman right now.  
“Then you can work for the company.”  
Eva was about to say something, but her father shushed her with his hand. “There’s no point talking back young lady, you need a job to support your children don’t you?” Eva nodded. “Besides, we both know, it’s always been my plan to have you work for the company after you finished college. Better late than never.”  
“But I need to look for my children.”  
Her father was adamant. “You can look for them when you’re not working.”  
“But-”  
“If you work for the company, I promise you I’ll give you the funds to look for your children, with a budget of course.” Her father then grabbed his coat and was about to leave with her mother in tow. “Just think about it ok?”  
Eva thought about it and knew she couldn’t reject the offer. The next day she called her father and within a week she was working for him.   
Her weeks were filled with working for her father full time 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and looking for her children. There were times her parents would add little conditions for their funds. Sometimes she’d have to meet with eligible young men, sometimes she’d have to spend time with her friends again, sometimes she’d have to go to orphanages and spend time with children. Her parents would then force her too long hours of adoption lectures, but she’d get her funds. Eva didn’t mind spending time with her friends but she perfectly knew what her parents were doing. What their hopes were. As the years passed, Eva felt her heartbreak more and more but she refused to give up. She’d put up with the scam artist hoping to just get paid, learned to accept the pitying, or even condescending stares given her way by her coworkers. During that time Eva had moved up and her salary increased. She moved in with her parents to help save money so she could use most of her salary to look for her children. Her parents would just look at each other.  
“You’d think she’d give up by now!”  
“I know you’re worried dear, but remember she can’t have children ever again.”  
“I know, but this is too much, I’m worried about her.”  
“Would you rather she go insane?”  
“No, I suppose not.”  
These were just of the many hushed whispers her parents would say behind her back. Eva put up with it too. She’d endure anything just to find her children.   
One day, as she was wondering if Madoc took them to Faerie when a Mockingjay began to sing. Tied to its claws was a scroll. It was meant for her.  
The first words written there made her blood run cold: It’s your husband, Madoc. I know You’re alive. I have known for years.  
She thought about running, but a part of her wondered why Madoc didn’t reach out to her before. And why he contacted her now, after all these years. She read the rest of the letter:  
Our daughter, Jude has been banished by the boy king of Elfhame. I need you to take care of her while she’s in the mortal world.  
Tears dripped down Eva’s cheeks, as she read the address. Finally after all these years of agony a clue. There was a part of her that believed this to be a trap, but Eva ignored it. She would willingly risk Madoc’s wrath if it meant seeing her daughter again. Going to said address, she saw a young woman bleeding profusely. She was injured.   
Her hair was the color of willow trees, eyes the color of walnut. She had pale skin and a heart-shaped face and was extremely beautiful. She looked like she was 17 or 18.   
Eva put her hand over her mouth to muffle her sobbing. She’d recognize that girl anywhere, a mother always knew their children. This was her little girl. Her Jude. Running towards her in shock, relief, and a thousand other emotions mixed in, she clasped her in a bear hug, crying.


End file.
